Language Techniques Great Authors Use (With Examples)

Do you wonder why some authors’ writing is so evocative, exciting, or simply beautiful? Many times, it’s because they’ve mastered certain language techniques. GoAssignmentHelp writers share some common language techniques great authors use and how you can learn to use them in your own writing:

 

 

• Alliteration

 

Alliteration is the repetition of initial sounds in a group of words. Alliteration is often used in poetry and prose to create a musical or rhythmic effect. It can also be used to add emphasis or drama to a certain word or phrase. For example, in the sentence “She sells seashells by the seashore,” the alliterative sounds of “s” and “sh” create a soft, soothing effect.

 

• Simile

 

A simile is a figure of speech that compares two things using the words “like” or “as.” Similes are often used to create vivid images or to make an implicit comparison between two things. They are also used to add emphasis or drama. For example, in the sentence “Her eyes were like stars,” the speaker is using a simile to create a vivid image of the woman’s eyes.

 

• Metaphor

 

A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two things without using the words “like” or “as.” You may use metaphors for the same reasons you use similes. For example, in the sentence “He was a lion in the courtroom,” the speaker is using a metaphor to compare the man’s bravery to that of a lion.

 

• Personification

 

Personification is a figure of speech in which non-human objects or concepts are given human characteristics. Personification is often used to create dramatic or humorous effects. For example, in the sentence “The wind was howling for mercy,” the speaker is using personification to give the wind a human quality.

 

• Onomatopoeia

 

Onomatopoeia is the use of words that imitate the sound they represent. Onomatopoeia is often used to create a more vivid and dramatic effect. For example, in the sentence “The bomb went boom,” the onomatopoeic word “boom” creates a more dramatic effect than the word “exploded.”

 

• Assonance

 

Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in a group of words. Assonance is often used to create a musical or rhyming effect. For example, in the sentence “Heaven is high and so am I,” the assonant sounds of “i” create a rhyming effect.

 

• Consonance

 

Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in a group of words. Consonance is often used to create a musical or rhyming effect. For example, in the sentence “The black cat sat on the mat,” the consonant sounds of “k” and “t” create a rhyming effect.

 

• Dissonance

 

Dissonance is the use of words with conflicting sounds. Dissonance is often used to create a dramatic or jarring effect. For example, in the sentence “The bomb went boom,” the dissonant sounds of “b” and “m” create a jarring effect.

 

• Colloquial Language

 

Colloquial language is the use of informal words or phrases. Colloquialisms are often used to create a more conversational or intimate tone. For example, in the sentence “How’re you doin’, mate?” the speaker is using colloquial language to create a more conversational tone.

 

• Monologue

 

A monologue is a long, uninterrupted speech by one person. Monologues are often used to create a more dramatic or suspenseful effect. For example, in the novel “Dracula,” the character of Van Helsing gives a long monologue about the dangers of vampires.

 

• Dialogue

 

 

Dialogue is a conversation between two or more people. Dialogue is often used to advance the plot or to reveal information about the characters. For example, in the play “Romeo and Juliet,” the dialogue between Romeo and Juliet reveals their love for each other.

 

• Soliloquy

 

A soliloquy is a long, uninterrupted speech by one person. Soliloquies are often used to reveal information about the character’s thoughts or feelings. For example, in the play “Hamlet,” Hamlet’s famous soliloquy reveals his inner turmoil and confusion.

 

• Imagery

 

Imagery is the use of words or phrases that create a mental image. Imagery is often used to create a more vivid or powerful effect. For example, in the sentence “The sky was a deep blue,” the imagery creates a mental image of the sky.

 

• Hyperbole

 

Hyperbole is the use of exaggeration for effect. Hyperbole is often used to create a more dramatic or humorous effect. For example, in the sentence “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse,” the speaker is using hyperbole to exaggerate their hunger.

 

• Understatement

 

Understatement is the opposite of hyperbole. Understatement is the use of understatement for effect. Understatement is often used to create a more subtle or ironic effect. For example, in the sentence “That’s not the best choice,” the speaker is using understatement to imply that the choice is actually bad.

 

• Irony

 

Irony is the use of words or phrases that have a different meaning than what is actually intended. The irony is often used to create a more humorous or dramatic effect. For example, in the sentence “A fire station burnt down,” the irony is that the fire station, which is supposed to put out fires, burnt down.

 

• Enjambment

 

Enjambment is the continuation of a sentence from one line to the next without a pause. Enjambment is often used to create a more lyrical or flowing effect. For example, in the sentence “The wind was howling and the leaves were rustling,” the enjambment creates a flowing effect.

 

• Oxymoron

 

An oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines two contradictory terms. Authors use oxymorons to create a more dramatic or humorous effect. For example, in the sentence “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco,” the oxymoron of “coldest winter” creates a humorous effect.

 

• Rhyme

 

Rhyme is the repetition of similar sounds. Rhyme is often used to create a more musical or poetic effect. For example, in the poem “The Raven,” the author uses rhyme to create a more musical effect.

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—

While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,

As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door—

“‘Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door—

               Only this and nothing more.”

 

• Rhythm

 

Rhythm is the repetition of sounds or syllables. Like rhyme, rhythm is often used to create a more musical or poetic effect. In English, five types of rhythms are defined based on the stressed and unstressed syllables. The five types of rhythms are:

• Iamb (unstressed-STRESSED): For example, “The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain.”
• Trochee (STRESSED-unstressed): For example, “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.”
• Dactyl (STRESSED-unstressed-unstressed): For example, “In the midnight hour she cried- more, more, more.”
• Anapest (unstressed-unstressed-STRESSED): For example, “Under the apple tree I sat down and wept.”
• Spondee (STRESSED-STRESSED): For example, “My heart aches, and a drowsy numbness pains.”

Learning these language techniques can help you take your writing to the next level. Practice using them in your own writing, and before long, you’ll be writing like a pro!